UNH briefs: Wildcat lacrosse duo honored

FROM STAFF REPORTS

Friday

May 3, 2013 at 3:15 AM

DURHAM — Kayleigh Hinkle and Kathleen O’Keefe of the University of New Hampshire women’s lacrosse team were honored as the co-Offensive Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week, respectively, by the America East conference on Monday.

Both were instrumental in UNH’s 6-5 victory at UMBC on April 27 that lifted the Wildcats into the America East tourney. A loss to the Retrievers would have ended the season.

Hinkle, who recorded a game-high four points with two goals and two assists, broke a 5-5 tie with 34 seconds remaining in regulation to give the ‘Cats their first lead of the game and a postseason berth by virtue of the victory.

O’Keefe, who has also started all 16 games, is 5-9 with a .438 save percentage and 11.55 GAA; she has recorded double-digit saves in seven games.

Pesce tabbed in scouting report

DURHAM — Brett Pesce of the men’s hockey team is the top active collegiate skater on the just-released Central Scouting Rankings for the upcoming 2013 NHL Entry Draft. Pesce is ranked 40th overall out of more than 210 North American skaters.

The NHL Draft will be held June 30 in Newark, N.J., and will air live on the NHL Network. If selected, Pesce would be the third member of the Wildcats’ 2012-13 squad to be taken in the draft. Previous selections include defenseman Eric Knodel, who was drafted in the fifth round (128 overall) of the 2009 draft by the Toronto Maple Leafs, and forward Greg Burke, who was drafted in the sixth round (174 overall) of the 2008 draft by the Washington Capitals.

Men’s basketball signs two

DURHAM — The UNH men’s basketball team signed Jaleen Smith of Freeport, Texas, and Williams Gabriel of Lagos, Nigeria, to the program. The pair will join the Wildcats for the 2013-14 season.

Smith, a 6-foot-4, 190-pound point guard from Brazosport High School, averaged 19.3 points per game and dished out 5.8 assists per game while coming down with 7.5 rebounds per game. He was tabbed a Texas Association of Basketball Coaches All-Region member and a 4-A All-State selection. Gabriel, a 6-foot-8, 215-pound power forward, comes to UNH after playing at Huntington Prep in Huntington, W.Va. He helped the Express achieve an overall mark of 83-8 in his four years with the team, helping him become the winningest player in school history. Gabriel helped the team achieve a No. 1 ranking as a senior and was named a McDonald’s All-America nominee.

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